Monday, July 22, 2013

Our first review was from a real, live human, but this review is brought to you by a "real, live Mermaid character."

Getting to see Disney’s “The Little Mermaid “Broadway Show was
like seeing the animated film as a child for the first time all over again.
Only with this show, there are added songs and scenes that give the audience an
even deeper look at the story and sticks even more closely with the original
Hans Christian Anderson tale of two star crossed lovers and a ‘fish out of
water’. The element of dance as “Ariel’s” way to win “Prince Eric’s” affections
is pulled from the original story and used in a song about dance being a way of
conversation, when one is without the ability to speak. There were explanations
in the play that we missed out on in the movie version, which added back story
to these already rich characters we know and love. For example, we find out
that “Ursula” the Sea Witch is, in fact, “King Triton’s” older sister, whom he
banished.

The sets were expertly
and seamlessly changed as the audience switches back and forth from the ocean
to land. The “Merfolk” ‘swam’ on wires and were in a constant state of
undulation to simulate being deep in the sea. They were even able to sing
beautifully while swinging above the stage and swaying with the faux currents. The costumes were sumptuously made of silks
and feathers which made them look as though they were swirling in the fathoms
below. Black light reactive fabrics were used to give the villains a more
sinister appearance.

The entire cast was wonderfully talented but there were two
absolute stand outs among them. Liz McCartney who donned an evening gown
replete with tentacles was fabulously nasty as “Ursula the Sea Witch”. Ms.
McCartney oozed all over the stage and absolutely brings this classic villain
to life, her vocals were nearly spot on with the original voice talent. The
other stand out was Alan Mingo Jr. in the role of “Sebastian the crab”, after a rousing rendition of “Under the Sea”
I believe the general audience feel was “Sebastian just brought it on home!”.

If you have ever looked
out on the Ocean and had thoughts of “Merpeople” or that maybe the sea
creatures are doing dance numbers, then this one is a must see for you. Kids of
all ages can enjoy the heartwarming message of Love conquers all obstacles.

Pittsburghers who attended the premier of Disney’s The Little
Mermaid on July 9 got to experience a undersea adventure before the
flooding. This beloved tale of a teenage
mermaid courageous enough to dream the impossible has been beautifully adapted
to the stage and is a must-see event this summer, for children and adults
alike. As it follows the familiar story we all know from the Disney version,
many elements from the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale are
represented, making it a little darker of a tale than we all remember.

Jessica Grove as Ariel/Courtesy of CLO

The story begins with a young mermaid princess, Ariel, who longs
for a home in the sun and a prince, Eric, who would rather be a sailor than a
king who are so close to each other, yet so far. Ariel, played by seasoned Broadway starlet
Jessica Grové, feels like she just isn’t meant to fit in with her father, King
Triton, and her six musical mersisters. She spends her time learning about
humans and human things from her two best friends, Flounder the Fish (Christian
Probst) and Scuttle the Seagull (Matt Allen), instead of staying below the
surface with the rest of the merfolk. In
fact, her obsession with life out of the ocean causes her to miss a
celebration, in which she was to honor the memory of her late mother for the
whole underwater kingdom with her beautiful voice. Her desire to live out of the ocean grows
even stronger after she does the unthinkable: she saves a human from drowning
and falls in love with him! No matter how much Sebastian the Crab (Alan Mingo
Jr.) and the other sea creatures try to show her all of the wonderful things
under the sea, she is still desperate to be with her prince.

She becomes so desperate that when the electric eel twins
Flotsam and Jetsam, played by Scott Leiendecker and Sean Patrick Doyle, offer
to take her to the sea witch, Ariel obliges.
When Ariel visits Ursula the sea witch (Liz McCartney), she is given the
chance to bargain her soul in exchange for a fully human body for three
sunsets. The catch: Eric has to fall in
love with her and prove it with a kiss.
The price: her voice. Ariel makes
the trade and takes the chance! With her
voice locked inside Poseidon’s magic shell, she washes up
on shore near Prince Eric’s castle and is treated to a heartwarming pep-talk
from her friends about staying positive.
The rest of the story is action-packed, dramatic, romantic and much
different from the Disney take on it. To
catch all of those surprises, you’ll just have to see it for yourself!

The music in the show was spectacular, including all the
familiar songs from the movie and new musical numbers which showcased the vocal
talents of the entire cast. Grové’s
talents were showcased in the nostalgic number “Part of Your World” and in
another song called “If Only”.

Sebastian
brought the house down with a visually stunning and all-around impressive
rendition of everyone’s favorite Disney party song: “Under the Sea” and Scuttle
had the audience laughing with the not so familiar song “Positoovity”,
performed with a hilarious, tap-dancing, harmonizing, snazzy-dressed group of
gulls!

The music in this production is without a doubt what one would
expect from Broadway, and the costumes and the sets are just the same. They did a really good job of setting the
mood for each scene, especially of Ursula in her home during her ballad “Poor
Unfortunate Souls”. Ursula’s giant
costume was controlled with the help of Flotsam and Jetsam. And their costumes lit up in bright green
flashes as they zipped around the stage in wheeled shoes. The use of the stage rigging to elevate
actors to simulate swimming or flying added so much to the show, making it an
imaginative and unforgettable trip back to childhood.

The Pittsburgh CLO presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid played at
the Benedum Center until July 21. If you
would like to revisit childhood for a couple hours, or if you’d like to make a
new memory with the next generation, Little Mermaid Is perfect for the whole
family. Don’t miss this opportunity to
see this beloved “tail” come to life!

Lauren Brutscher
is a Pittsburgh based Quality Assurance Inspector, graduate of Bidwell
Training Center and West
Mifflin Area High School.

The opening night presentation of Lady Windermere’s Fan by Oscar
Wilde was a satirical delight. Alan
Stanford adaption of the play, changing the time period from the 1880’s to 1947
was just the right thing to do. It is still a time where the British upper
class clings to the Victorian values with all its trappings and hypocrisy and
yet the setting is a bridge to 70 years later in the 21st century.

In Lady Windermere’s Fan the “appearance “of things are so
important. Good women, like children,
are to be seen, but not heard. They are
to play their part, hostess, mothers, daughters with the main goal of
preserving and enhancing the family status…as the “right kind of family”. Jodi Gage is delightful as Lady Windermere,
the trusting, naïve, trusting, non-thinking wife who is dedicated to all the
ideals of a proper upper class wife. In
the opening act everything is so perfect, so proper, so refined…you know her
life is bound to be disrupted…and of course it is.or we would not have this
tongue in cheek romp.

Lady Windermere husband so aptly played by Leo Marks is rumored
to spending a good bit of time and money with a certain woman, a Mrs. Erlynne,
wonderfully played by Nike Doukas, a woman with an uncertain reputation. Through a series of maneuvers Mrs. Erlynne
and Lady Windermere meet and the turn of affairs is fascinating to watch. The woman of questionable reputation and much
“charm to men” and the ideal wife form a fascinating relationship where one”saves”
the other. You have to go and see it and
immerse yourself in the sly wit and sharp insight of Oscar Wilde as he delves
into “mores of high society”.

A couple of notes on the clothing and scenery…. it is perfect
for the period. In our fashion less sense,
too tight, too short, too low or too sloppy dress era it is a treat to see the
clothing. How I wish we could bring back
some of the style and class of the dresses.
It is one thing the British upper class still have on us…they do know
how to dress elegantly. The scenery for
each set is moved about so perfectly.
The men are dressed in tuxedos and project an elegant air as they move
furniture and walls around to set the stage.
It was fun to watch.

The Pittsburgh Irish Classical Theatre is an exception theater
company and well deserving of our support.
Every time I have gone to a play by PICT, I have walked away saying to
myself “Wow, what an excellent theatre company.
Go and enjoy Lady Windermere fan and be prepared to laugh and enjoy the
insights to the human characters by Mr. Oscar Wilde.

Roving Pittsburgher Good News Reporter, JoAnn Forrester is the Host of "Empress of Biz, Reinvent in Rugged Times," a business Talkcast syndicated on PPLMag, Pittsburgh's First Internet Radio and TV Network. You can hear JoAnn and Business friends every Thursday at 9 AM on the TalkShoe network or archived later at: http://pplmag.com Jo Ann is also a regular business tip columnist at the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Review by Good News Reporter, JoAnn Forrester

written by Jackie Nicoll

VIAGARA FALLS is a hoot. It was was fun to see and had some insightful
comments on the life of the patrons of a particular

Delightful to see a play in a small room

coffee shop. It is
billed as a Dramedy and is written by Jackie Nicoll a vivacious senior
adult who has a winning way with the written word.

While there are
characters of various ages the featured three main characters were over 50 and
their various outlook and behavior was definitely of the baby boomer era. Some of their actions were
funny, others sad and obnoxious. Getting older does not mean you are
getting wiser--just slowly down a bit.

Viagra Falls was presented by Aurora
Productions which is housed

The stars, Jackie Nichols and Paul Laughlin

in DAP Co-Op along with a dance studio and artist studio.

We were delighted by An
Art Exhibition in the first floor Gallery and after the show had wine and pizza with the cast and staff.

Featured in the
cast are Paul Laughlin, Charlene Dolfi, Gus Melis, Logan McCurdy, Jerry Wienand,
Cindy Swanson, Jesse Warnick and Kathi Finch. Amazing to find two attorneys involved in the play, Paul Laughlin as the Professor and the Assistant Director is also an attorney. Just goes to show you that attorneys do go for the dramatic.

We also got to experience Watercolors
by Linda Galatti, Linda

Viagara Falls, the set

says watercolor art has always captivated her attention both as an admirer and collector, so it seems completely natural that
she gravitated to and loves working as an artist in this medium.

What a great way to experience the theater and art in an up close and personal way and be able to socialize with the actors and crew later.

Reviewers note: In the audience was 82 year young, Saroj Gopal Kulkarni who is finishing her first book, "Saris and Soap Operas." Great to see two octogenarians, she and Jackie both so involved in the arts.

Playwright,Jackie Nicoll studied ad Carnegie Tech and performed and or was
director for: The Houston Alley Players, The Pittsburgh Playhouse, The Odd
Chair Playhouse, Civic Light Opera, The Pittsburgh Opera, Stage 62, Little Lake
Theater and South Park Conservatory Theater. Jackie is a member of SAG & Aftra,
plus she has been a featured actress in many commercials and movies, one by
famed horror Director George Romero with make up specialist Tom Sevini.

She won " Best Play/ Best Director " for the 2005 New Work, held here in
Pittsburgh every year. Viagra Falls is the last play she has written and this was
the premier showing of it at her daughter's venue, The DAP Co-Op for Dance, Arts, &
Photography, home to Southwest ballet, Slava Modern Bance, & EN
Photography.

For future productions you may contact the Founder and Director of the Co-Op,
Virginia Nicoll-(412)-403-7357

The D.A.P. Co-Op for Dance, Arts,
& Photography

26, East Main St. Carnegie Pa. 15106
(412)-403-7357

Roving Pittsburgher Good News Reporter, JoAnn Forrester is the Host of "Empress of Biz, Reinvent in Rugged Times,"
a business Talkcast syndicated on PPLMag, Pittsburgh's First Internet
Radio and TV Network. You can hear JoAnn and Business friends every
Thursday at 9 AM on the TalkShoe network or archived later at: http://pplmag.com Jo Ann is also a regular business tip columinist at the Pittsburgh Business Times.